UM wants to know who threw the bottle

Tossed Saturday, it hit Duke player's mom

January 30, 2001|By Gary Lambrecht | Gary Lambrecht,SUN STAFF

COLLEGE PARK - The University of Maryland, still smarting from Saturday night's shocking, 98-96 overtime loss to Duke, is trying to find out who among its fans threw an object that struck the mother of a Duke player in the head after the game at Cole Field House.

Renee Boozer, the mother of Duke center Carlos Boozer, is believed to have been hit by a full plastic water bottle minutes after the contest ended. The incident took place in the stands behind the Blue Devils' bench, where the parents of the visiting team are among those sitting next to a section filled with Maryland students.

According to a Duke spokesman, Mrs. Boozer was examined after the game by Blue Devils head trainer Dave Engelhardt and Dr. Frank Bassett, the former team physician, who traveled with Duke last weekend. Duke sports information director Jon Jackson said Mrs. Boozer left Cole Field House with assistance.

It is not known whether she went to a hospital before returning to Durham, N.C., on Sunday.

In addition to the bottle, cups, coins and ice reportedly were tossed in the direction of the Duke parents. The mothers of point guard Jason Williams and guard Chris Duhon also reportedly were hit by debris.

Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow said in a written statement yesterday that the university is "reviewing with our campus police videotapes of the student section behind the visiting team bench, where we believe these incidents took place, to see if we can determine the identity of any perpetrators."

Yow, who was out of town and unavailable for comment, added in the statement that if videotape revealed who tossed the objects, those individuals would be denied admission to future athletic events.

Atlantic Coast Conference associate commissioner Frederick E. Barakat said he had spoken with administrators of Duke's and Maryland's athletic departments about the incident.

"We're gathering information at this point from both schools and people who witnessed it," Barakat said. "It's an institutional thing. We'll be working with them and giving them advice if they ask for it. We'll get back with both schools to see if we can remedy the situation."

Chris Kennedy, senior associate athletic director at Duke, said he was not sure if charges would be brought against any suspects revealed on videotape. The Blue Devils discovered what had happened after the game, when Charles Boozer, Carlos' father, made it known at Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's post-game news conference next to the Duke locker room.